Dance and the lives of Native Americans has always been intertwined. Whether it be for general entertainment or for ceremony. Many tribes have their own dances and rituals with dance and music which reflect aspects of their beliefs. The dances often have movements within that are an expression of purpose and intent, animals and birds, habitat and other things which are of significance to them. In addition to public dances, there were also private and semi-public dances for healing, prayer, initiation, storytelling, and courting.

Many of the dances were and still are done to the sound of the drum but others are performed with rattles, bells and shakers too. Dances performed at Pow Wows are a spectacle to behold with beautiful costumes intricately made and highly decorated regalia.

Examples of dances are:-

The Rain Dance...Usually taking place in late August, ancient tribes depended upon this ritualistic movement to summon the rain to come and restore their resources during the driest time of year.

Today, the rain dance is more symbolic than spiritual, however many tribes continue to make it part of their culture. Both men and women participate in rain dances, wearing specially designed headdresses and costumes designated for the occasion. The use of turquoise is also especially significant, and the dance is rarely performed without the incorporation of this precious stone.

There are few pow wow dances as symphonic, as the Jingle Dress Dance, especially when there are multiple female dancers moving together. The rows of metal cones, called ziibaaska’iganan in the Ojibew language, dangle from the dresses and rattle and clink as the dancers move. The traditional dance required the dancers to never cross their feet, never dance backward, and never complete circle. They kept footwork light, nimble, and close to the ground. Modern Jingle Dress Dance allows more fluidity, the dancers can cross their feet, can complete full circles, and can dance backwards. The dresses are designed so they can move more freely, but the metal cones remain, singing along, while the dancer often carries a feather fan during the dance. 

The Medicine Wheel, sometimes known as the Sacred Hoop, has been used by generations of various Native American tribes for health and healing. It embodies the Four Directions, as well as Father Sky, Mother Earth, and Spirit Tree—all of which symbolize dimensions of health and the cycles of life.

It represents all of creation, harmony and connections.

It is considered a major symbol of peaceful interaction on Earth (All races of people, the directions, all of the cycles of nature, day and night, seasons, moons, life cycles, and orbits of the moon and planets).

The basic Medicine Wheel of the Four Directions can be expanded to include other wheels. These wheels within wheels are used to explain and examine things that impede personal growth and the development process that involves leading a person to wholeness.

All Medicine Wheels are tools for people to learn about their place in the universe and their relationship to all things created.

If you would like a Mohawk Medicine wheel click on the pictures below and you will find Feather and Buckskin Medicine Wheels for sale..

Thank you and many blessings for looking...
Nizhoni

For the Dine' people  (Navajo) who live on the high desert and mountain Colorado Plateau  (5,000-8,000 ft) in the Four Corner's area of the American Southwest  turquoise is a very symbolically important gem. 

For the Navajo there are four sacred mountains that mark the boundaries of Dine bikeyah (Navajo lands) and two center ones.  Each mountain and cardinal direction with it, has a color associated with it.  Each mountain has a sacred gem, a gender. a time of day, season of the year, period of life and philisophical meaning asscociated with it. The mountains are always listed in order sunwise: east, south, west and north. On traditional Navajo maps of the world east is on the top. East is white, south is blue, west is yellow and north is black. 

This picture is Taylor Mountain - the Southern Mountain Tsoodzil, or Dootl’izhiidziil - known as the Blue Bead or Turquoise Mountain. 

Turquoise is the gem for the southern mountain. It is also the symbol of midday, adulthood, and summer. 

The word Dootł’izh (turquoise) can be a general term for wealth and well being. It is also the name for colors in the blue and green range. Navajo is one of the many cultures like Japanese that puts blue and green together. When the stones are in the blue range they are said to be male and in the green range is female.  

If you wear white shell, turquoise, abalone  and jet it symbolizes the  complete harmony of the Navajo universe. It creates Hozho inside and  out. Hozho is one of  the central concepts in Navajo thought.  It means  the combined concepts of beauty, health, goodness, balance, harmony.  

 

Silver is not seen as sacred but once introduced by the Spanish it was adopted by many tribes in Jewellery making. The Navajo were, and still are, the tribe with the greatest number of silversmiths, not just because they were first but also because they’re the largest. 

In terms of silver jewellery, the primary ones are still the Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni each with their own skillful applications and designs.

Nizhoni wishes to thankyou for looking - May you walk in Peace

Sweet little Navajo neck bags made from the softest buckskin with feather and gem stone adornments. Nice long soft neck strap too. Just the right size for a Nature Spirit Medicine Wheel Oil bottle of your choice...also available on the medicine bag page.

New In Native Soaps 100% percent natural handmade all body care product, that is inspired by Native American Indian ancestors, filled with oils, herbs and botanicals used in Native American traditions and daily life for cleansing, ceremony and healing.

A Variety of Native American Music CD's with evocative Music by Niall to relax to. Guided meditations with Michael Looking Coyote and Native American Flute performed by Dave Tye a flute maker, player and performer.

Ghost bead necklaces created by the Navajos represent the connection between humans and nature.Ghost beads are actually dried juniper berries. The dried berries are strung together with beads to create what is called a ghost necklace. Ghost bead necklaces are believed to ward off evil spirits and negative energy, as well as protect the wearer  bringing peace and protection. 

Juniper berries were known to the Shoshone Indians as "Sammapo." Washo Indians: "Paal." Paiute Indians: "Wapi." For rheumatism, the Native Americans put the green boughs of Juniper on the patient as he reclined, then they steamed the boughs and the patient drank tea from the leaves. They also used a tea from juniper berries, taken on 3 successive days, a cupful at a time, for birth control. Navajo often used them to treat illnesses such as diabetes. In addition to wearing juniper berry necklaces, the Navajos also smeared juniper ashes on their skin prior to venturing out in the dark, as they believed this would keep the spirits happy should they enter any ruins. In the home they sprinkled juniper ashes around the bed was thought to provide extra protection. 

Another popular beading style uses the Peyote Stitch also known as the Gourd Stitch using Seed Beads.  Free form peyote stitching can be used to create beaded designs on many things ranging from handles, jewellery and intricate colourful designs on clothes, belts, medicine bags, pouches,the list is endless.

Pretty much any surface that can be stitched to can carry the amazing tiny seed bead designs and with stringing techniques the beads are cleverly used to make bead lace as shown in the keyring above. Check out the Nizhoni range here.